UCI boss Lappartient has ideas about how to counter Pogačar's dominance: 'the race becomes more spectacular'
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Follow us on GoogleIn an in-depth interview with Discovery, David Lappartient once again shared a host of ideas for the sport of cycling. The French president of the UCI has strong opinions on a wide range of issues, including a salary cap, smaller teams in the Tour de France, and safety.
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Lappartient doesn't often sit down for an interview, but when he does, you can bet we'll find out what's going on in his head. For starters, he certainly has an opinion about the powerhouses in cycling, where the best riders in the peloton are becoming increasingly centralized.
UAE Emirates-XRG alone already has five team leaders, all of whom would be perfectly at home as top leaders on any other WorldTour team. “To keep the sport attractive and balanced, it’s essential to prevent the best riders from all ending up on the same team,” said Lappartient.
How can that be made possible? The Frenchman would very much like to see a salary cap. “We worked very intensively on that for a year and a half, and such a cap system was ready to be implemented. But the teams spoke out against it. Even the smaller teams voted against it.”
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David Lappartient
Lappartient Wants More Balance in Cycling
According to Lappartient, by 2026, more teams would be open to the idea of a salary cap. “Without such a cap, the wealthiest teams will continue to increase their revenues and monopolize the best riders. It will then become more difficult for smaller teams to survive.”
However, as more and more major sponsors are entering the world of cycling, the flip side is that there aren’t necessarily just two or three big teams with large budgets anymore. Teams such as Tudor, Pinarello-Q36.5, Lidl-Trek, and Decathlon CMA CGM are now emerging as well.
Lappartient hopes that all the work done over the past year and a half has not been in vain, especially given that a heavy penalty for exceeding the budget is on the table. The goal is clear: to regulate spending in order to keep the playing field competitive.
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UAE Emirates-XRG is currently the richest and most successful team in cycling.
More teams with fewer riders in the Tour de France?
With the globalization and commercialization of cycling, Lappartient does have ideas on how to bring in more money, but he’s also considering changes to the sport itself to counter the dominance of a few teams. Reducing the size of the teams for the Tour de France is one idea.
"Is it really wise to limit the number of teams in the Tour de France to 22 or 23, each with eight riders? That way, the strongest teams manage to completely dominate a 3,500-kilometer race. With 25 teams of six riders each, the race becomes less predictable and more spectacular."
In recent years, teams have often spoken out against larger pelotons, arguing that they are less safe. The UCI also wants to penalize race organizers more frequently. “For example, we imposed a 50,000-euro fine on the Giro d’Italia for the 200-meter-long bend in the last edition.”
"Organizers can't just map out a course and hope it stays dry. They have to be prepared for anything."
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026